D. Lindsey Berkson
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 Weed's book Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way (Ash Tree Publishing, 1992) gives complete herbal remedies for all menopausal conditions. However, plant products such as cohosh, dong quai, vitex, and American ginseng may stimulate estrogen-dependent breast and uterine cancers. For women at risk, use other herbs or hormone potentiators (that use Korean ginseng). Homeopathic medications have been helpful for some women, too. |
Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg
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 Stevia: herbal sweetener which helps stabilize blood sugar while not requiring insulin for its metabolism
?Fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum): Defatted fenugreek seed powder given twice daily (50 g) to Type I diabetics resulted in lowered fasting blood sugar and a 54% decrease in 24-hour urinary glucose excretion. In Type II diabetics, the addition of 15 g of powdered fenugreek seed soaked in water significantly reduced postprandial glucose levels.44
?Pterocarpus (Pterocarpus marsupium): historically used in India as a treatment for diabetes. |
D. Lindsey Berkson
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| To rid your pet of fleas, use a fine-toothed comb with petroleum or plant-based jelly, followed by an antibacterial, nontoxic herbal shampoo (if you have a very cooperative pet).
• Applying common flea pesticide treatments to carpets in the home creates levels twice above the legal limit, even when windows are open, and six times above the legal limit when windows are closed. The bottles all state that it is safe to return home several hours after the application. This is not true. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Do you take herbal medicines or folk remedies?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, or other illicit drugs?
Do you listen to loud music, wear stereo headphones, or go to loud music concerts? Do you ride or work on snowmobiles, motorcycles, motorboats, or race cars? Do you use power tools?
Do you target shoot or supervise target shooters?
Toxic Possibilities If You Answered Yes*
Children especially may be exposed to lead by eating paint chips, inhaling dust, or drinking contaminated tap water. Renovating may expose you to lead in old paint and pipes. |
| Do you take herbal or traditional folk medicines?
Are you being treated for acne or osteoporosis?
Do you drink home-distilled moonshine whiskey or wine?
Do you intentionally sniff glue or adhesives, typewriter correction fluid, or other substances?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, or other illicit drugs?
Historically some of these products contained contaminants, such as lead, thallium, cyanide, and arsenic. Long-term use of very high doses of vitamin A (25,000+ IU) and vitamin D daily may affect your vision.
High doses of vitamin A for acne treatment can cause blurred or double vision. |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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 If you're taking drugs prescribed for you by another doctor, over-the-counter medication, pills left over from a prescription written for your sister, even herbal preparations such as St. John's wort or ginkgo biloba, be sure to share this information with the physician who's treating you.
• Consider medical alert jewelry if you are allergic to certain classes of medicine—sulfa or penicillin-type drugs.
• Educate yourself, especially if you will be using a relatively new product. Find out what side effects to look for. Utilize the drug-information sheets every pharmacy should give. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Do you take herbal or traditional folk medicines?
Have you recently eaten tainted fruit, seed grain, or vegetables?
Have you recently eaten mussels, clams, oysters, or other shellfish?
Have you eaten any seafood, bread, or seed grain?
Have you eaten any home-canned foods? Have you eaten any previously cooked foods left at room temperature for a long time? Have you eaten canned olives, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, beets, fish, peppers, or onions that may have gone bad?
Have you eaten any unidentified wild plants? |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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| Is your physician sometimes unaware of all the medications you are taking, including over-the-counter drugs or herbal supplements?
The Building Blocks of a Longer, Sweeter Life:
Three Elements You Can't Do Without
THINK ABOUT THE MOST EXUBERANT people you know. Are they sixty-five, forty-five, fifteen, or five? Did you think of them because of their accumulated years of educational wisdom or his zest for life? Do their smile and humor just light up a room? When there's a new idea or something to tackle, are they enthusiastic? |
| When we look at alternative therapies, we might find:
• Chiropractic
• Acupuncture
• Mind-Body skills (guided imagery, yoga, self-healing techniques)
• Dance therapy and tai chi
• Relaxation and stress reduction
• Hypnosis
• Biofeedback
• Craniosacral body work and reflexology and massage
• Homeopathy
• herbal medicines
• Rolfing
• Aromatherapy
• Natural hormone balancing
The field is diverse, and some approaches are worthy while some are less so. My feeling has always been that if you benefit from something and it doesn't harm you in any way, you may want to continue with it. |
| Certain medications can interact dangerously with each other or with food or beverages or herbal remedies. Very few, if any, are right for everyone all the time.
That's why longevity-minded medication takers will want to become familiar with any drugs they are now or soon could be taking. Always, the goal for you and your doctor to shoot for is the most effective medication with the fewest side effects at the lowest dosage necessary to get the job done.
As a physician, there are a number of drugs that I'd hate to have to work without. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 Avoid coffee, tea (except for herbal varieties), and caffeinated soft drinks.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
¦ The B vitamins are important nutrients needed by the nervous system. Take a good B-complex formula that supplies at least 25 milligrams of each of the major B vitamins daily.
¦ Calcium and magnesium are vital to a stable nervous system. Take a calcium and magnesium combination formula that supplies 400 milligrams of calcium and 200 milligrams of magnesium three times daily.
¦ Chromium helps to even out blood-sugar levels and keep them in balance. |
| Bupleurum and dragon bone is an old Chinese herbal remedy that is helpful for anxiety caused by withdrawal from alcohol. Take a bupleurum and dragon bone combination formula as directed on the product label.
¦ Dandelion is a mild liver-protective remedy. It enhances the flow of bile, thereby relieving liver congestion. Take 500 milligrams or one cup of dandelion-root tea three times a day for six weeks. Stop for one month, then repeat.
HOMEOPATHY
¦ Lachesis helps to relax the female social alcoholic who often awakens with a headache. |
| The following is a four-week herbal program formulated especially for women in their forties and fifties. It is designed to support women during the changes they experience in midlife, particularly with regard to the decline in hormonal production that occurs during menopause. You can use this program three or four times a year. |
| Add the following to 1 pint of water: l/2 CUP plus 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel; 21/2 teaspoons of herbal calendula extract; 2,000 milligrams of powdered vitamin C; 50 milligrams of zinc (open a capsule, crush a tablet, or use 2 tablespoons of liquid); and 2,400 micrograms of folic acid powder (open three 800-microgram capsules). Blend all the ingredients together well. Using a clean cotton ball, apply this mixture to the skin morning and night. Folic acid, one of the B-complex vitamins, helps renew and restore tissue. Zinc aids in healing skin tissue and helps prevent scarring. |
| How to Use This Book
This is an in-home guide that will help you maintain your health through a unique approach that seeks to combine the best of conventional medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupressure, diet, and nutritional supplementation. Written by a naturopathic physician, a medical doctor, and a registered pharmacist and naturopath, it offers advice and explanations of the full spectrum of options available today.
This book is intended to help you make informed health-care decisions. |
| A 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal formula, available today as a product called Curing Pills, is effective for any stomach upset. Follow the dosage directions on the product label.
¦ Ginger is helpful for nausea, vomiting, and stomachache. Take a cup of ginger tea as needed. If the tea tastes too strong, mix it with apple juice or make it with equal amounts of ginger and licorice root to sweeten the taste. Or choose a standardized extract containing 5 percent gingeoles and take 200 milligrams three times daily.
Note: Do not add licorice if you have high blood pressure. |
Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.
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| If doing a straight lemon drink fast, it is often necessary to use a mild herbal laxative for the first couple of days if you are not accustomed to fasting regularly. If some of the lemon pulp is left in the drink and not strained out it will assist in moving the bowels. Keeping the elimination process moving is critical as you want all toxins to move out of the body, not recirculate through the intestinal wall.
The ingredient of pure maple syrup as a sweetener balances blood sugar unlike any other ingredient, facilitating one's ability to fast and not experience overpowering hunger pains. |
| Ginkgo is only an example of many herbal options. There are many which are just as effective. Find what works for you. Be aware that caution should be used in whatever mode of therapy we choose. (I emphasize this because after being on Prozac far too many patients become impulsive and do not show wisdom in making decisions about proceeding cautiously during the withdrawal period.) Some patients report that after having an adverse reaction to Prozac, using ginkgo makes them feel as if they are on Prozac again with the same disturbing side effects. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN NAIL ABNORMALITIES
Questions to Ask About Your Surroundings and Activities
Do you take herbal medicines or folk remedies? Are you taking dietary supplements, homeopathic medicines, vitamins, or products from a health food store?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, or other illicit drugs?
Do you smoke?
Are your hands constantly immersed in water? Do you frequently wash clothes or dishes?
Do you wear sculptured artificial nails or nail polish or hardener?
Do your hands frequently have contact with oils and other chemicals at work? |
Neal Barnard, M.D.
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 Other beverages—even herbal teas—can be triggers.
Condiments: modest amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are usually well-tolerated.
COMMON TRIGGERS
Common triggers often cause headaches in susceptible people.6 Some of them might surprise you. Citrus fruits or wheat, for example, seem like perfectly healthful foods. But just as some food sensitivities manifest as a rash on your skin, migraine sufferers have a reaction that is internal— in the blood vessels and nerves. Here are the common food triggers, also known as the dirty dozen, in order of importance:
1. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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 To improve liver function, use lipotropic factors in a tablet containing a combination of inositol, choline, vitamins B-6 and B-12, methionine, and magnesium. herbal remedies
• Take cholagogue herbs for the liver, including beet, radish, dandelion, chelidonium, and chionanthus. The lipotropic factors (see above) and milk thistle are also included in some formulas (SLF by NF formulations of Wilsonville, Oregon, or Optilipotropic by Eclectic Institute of Sandy, Oregon). Take one tablet of either three times a day throughout the month for several months to help improve liver function. |
| Several herbal combination formulas are effective (see "Premenstrual Syndrome," Chapter Nineteen).
• Use the solid extract of alfalfa (available from Scientific Botanicals of Seattle), which contains phytoestrogens, agents that block the effects of elevated estrogen states (Va teaspoon two or three times a day). Warning: Alfalfa has been known to exacerbate lupus.
• A topical cream formulated from the wild yam, possessing progesteronelike activity, has been one of the best solutions for PMS symptoms resistant to all other measures. |
| Bromelain (250 to 500 milligrams three or four times a day) may help improve the absorption of herbal agents and thin mucus.
• A ginger compress can be useful and soothing. The effect of the herb boosts the circulation stimulated by the heat (see Chapter Twenty).
OTHER THERAPIES
Try breathing in any one or a combination of the following for relief:
• Sniff warm salt water (saline) (Vi teaspoon sea salt dissolved in 1 cup warm water or salt water with a pinch of baking soda). Use a saline squeeze spray bottle, which is available over the counter, or try a medicine dropper. |
| Take combination herbal capsule formulas to promote gastrointestinal mucosal healing. Try Roberts Formula or Bastyr B by Eclectic Institute of Sandy, Oregon, or GI Encap by Thorne Research of Sandpoint, Idaho.
• Aloe vera juice or gel can also be healing and soothing (1 or 2 ounces of the juice or 1 tablespoon of the gel three or four times a day).
OTHER THERAPIES
• Stress management is key for many people with ulcers.
Ulcer (Venous Stasis)
An erosion of the skin, usually below the knee, which may start as a harmless abrasion and deteriorate into a large, deep chronic ulcer. |
Dr. John Heinerman
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 See the Product Appendix under Nature's Answer for obtaining the herbal extracts mentioned here.)
Something Fishy for Poochy
If you have been led to believe all these years that fish is only for pussycats, then think again: It's also a highly desirable food remedy for treating arthritis in dogs. This can be done one of several ways, but they all involve giving your motion-limited canine shark. That's right, shark as in the monster movie Jaws. |
| The program Millie put her pet on consisted of the following herbal regimen:
Yellow Root 15 drops orally Early a.m.
Yucca 10 drops orally Early a.m.
Middle p.m.
Vegetal Liquid 10 drops in the
Liquid Silica animal's food
(Horsetail)
Once daily
Capsaicin Cream Gently massaged (Cayenne Pepper) through fur onto
Done several times daily the skin in a circular motion*
•CAUTION: Start with a little bit on a small area to begin with and check the site after four hours for adverse reaction such as skin irritation. |
| Other areas of the body that show allergic symptoms may also be sprayed with this herbal solution.
Aloe-vera gel works surprising well for allergic skin responses that have been chewed on, frequently licked, or continually scratched. However, before applying aloe to the affected area, I suggest adding two drops of wormwood or valerian tea. You need only a little amount of either herb, no more than one-half teaspoons steeped in one-half cup boiling water for ten minutes, covered, to get the desired results. |
| A cups
Nutritional and herbal Assistance for Cats
In the preparation of this book, I had frequent occasions to interview holistic and some nonholistic veterinarians around the country whose knowledge and expertise I respected. I discovered that there were just as many varied opinions and methods of treatment as there usually are in regular medical care for people. Doctors in both systems of medicine, while trained pretty much the same in the basic stuff, each develop their own way of approaching specific problems. |
| Individual herbal liquid extracts that are alcohol-free also have a great effect in dispelling animal aggression before it gets out of hand. I would recommend without hesitation linden flower, wood betony, hops, and catnip (for cats mostly), peppermint, chamomile, or valerian. Also a combination of several of these herbs helps to reduce tension. (Consult the Product Appendix under Nature's Answer for more about these herbs. |
| She also sprays some of this same liquid herbal mixture on the heads and tails of her pets and then lightly rubs it in with her fingers. She informed me on the day we spoke by phone recently that "I had tried some other things recommended by my local veterinarian, but they didn't seem to do the job as effectively as the herbs did." Besides this, she added, "I prefer using things on my pets that are more natural and safe for them. I believe it's morally wrong to use anything on your animals that isn't natural to begin with. |
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